As of 9:27 New York time last night, when James told the
world he was leaving Cleveland for Miami, Heat President Pat
Riley became the king. If anyone will rule over the National
Basketball Association for years to come it’s him, not James.

“Gonna take my talents to South Beach,” James said in an
hour-long special on ESPN.

By choosing to pursue a championship, make that
championships -- plural -- alongside Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade,
the two-time Most Valuable Player has positioned himself as
nothing more than a piece of the puzzle.

“This definitely hurts LeBron,” said Hall of Famer
Charles Barkley, a TNT analyst. “When you are 25 you shouldn’t
be trying to piggyback on other people.”

Kings lead. James followed. Kings dictate. James acquiesced
to the want and will of Bosh, who has never won a playoff
series.

Two MVPs, a $90 million Nike contract, a friendship with
Warren Buffett and unprecedented hoops hysteria meant squat to
Bosh, who simply wouldn’t genuflect.

Bosh is a fine player, but no superstar. And yet he said
no. Wouldn’t budge. Not even for you know who. Again and again,
over and over, Bosh rebuffed the so-called King, who at the
start of LeBronapalooza envisioned a dynamic duo in Cleveland,
where James, he of Akron, Ohio, could’ve had it all. Hometown
loyalty. Championship rings. Global icon status.

If.

“If it was a perfect world,” James said, “I would love
to have stayed.”

James figured his talent, charisma and aura would be enough
to lure someone, especially his Olympic teammate Bosh. He was
wrong.

Anywhere But Cleveland

Bosh made the first move, tethering himself not to James
but Wade, the only one of Miami’s newly minted triumvirate who
can boast of having won it all.

Now it’s up to Phil Jackson of the Lakers -- you remember
them, Kobe Bryant and the defending champions -- and Boston’s
Doc Rivers, who has a pretty good roster, too, to figure out a
way to beat the revamped Heat. Good luck.

The Heat, no matter which players surround The Trinity, as
Wade, James and Bosh are known, are going to be good. Really
good. Good enough to persuade the beautiful people to dock their
yachts, park their Porsches and head on over to American
Airlines Arena. Forget fun in the sun.

Riley’s Showtime

What you’re about to witness is a testament to the
abilities and savvy of Riley, he of the Armani suits and
slicked-back hair. Still. The man who presided over Magic
Johnson and the Showtime Lakers wouldn’t stand for Slowtime in
Miami.

Heading into free agency, any team would’ve been thrilled
to land any one of the big three. They would’ve been downright
giddy with two. It’s doubtful any team or executive, except for
Riley, gave any serious consideration to a clean sweep. But this
was his plan all along.

“He’s great,” was James’s evaluation of Riley, who
coached Wade and Shaquille O’Neal to the 2006 title. “Pat has
been there. He’s coached and won championships multiple times.
He’s played the game. He understands what it takes to be a
championship team, the DNA of a championship team.”

More than anything, Riley understands the player mindset.

Back in 2006, for instance, Riley had a pit erected in the
middle of the Heat locker room that was covered with a black
cloth. No outsider was permitted to touch the tarp, let alone
peek underneath. The players referenced the pit almost daily. It
was theirs, only theirs.

Secret Pit

When it was over, when the Heat had defeated the Dallas
Mavericks, the secret was unmasked. The pit contained playing
cards emblazoned with the championship trophy on one side and
the words “15 Strong” on the other.

The players believed. They bought in. That’s half the
battle in today’s NBA, where superstars like Wade and James are
also brands and mini-corporations with dueling agendas.

Riley, we’re told, won’t coach this team. He doesn’t have
to. His presence is enough.

I agree with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who, according
to ESPN, has told associates that James would probably win
championships in Miami but dilute his brand.

James demonstrated his knowledge of NBA history last night,
rattling off some of the game’s best tandems and teams. Magic,
Kareem and Worthy. Bird, Parish and McHale. Thomas and Dumars.
And, of course, Jordan and Pippen, who had a little help from
the likes of Rodman and Grant.

As of now, Miami has Bosh, James, Wade and little else. The
task of rounding out the salary-strained roster falls to Riley.

“The journey is just beginning,” he said.

All hail the king.

(Scott Soshnick is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions
expressed are his own.)